Võrklaev said that the clip was made during filming of the Estonian TV series "Alo," in which he was invited to play a version of himself.

"The offer seemed nice because I respect the actors and actresses in the series and I appreciate good humor. I think that people should be able to laugh at themselves, it's an essential human skill in the modern world. A joke is good for both the actor and the viewer, and in difficult times we all need that," said Võrklaev.

Võrklaev confirmed that he did not receive any payment for his participation in the series, nor did he wish to receive any payment for the related social media post promoting the Škoda dealership.

ERR asked Võrklaev whether he thought the Estonian Political Parties Financing Surveillance Committee (ERJK) might consider his role as being a form of advertising that is prohibited for politicians, just as, for example, a private company that had approached former Prime Minister Jüri Ratas was banned from selling souvenirs with his image on them. Võrklaev replied that he did believe the example provided was relevant.

"Appearances by politicians and public figures in various entertainment programs, including 'Dancing with the Stars' ('Tantsud tähtedega'), 'The Masked Singer' ('Maskis laulja,'), 'Lucky 13' ('Õnne 13') and so on are nothing new and, as far as I know, there has never been a problem with this before," said Võrklaev.

"In the case of 'Alo,' it's the same type of entertainment show, and the Škoda dealership has been the setting for this series throughout the seasons, because the show takes place in a car showroom," said Võrklaev.

Võrklaev said he considers the contribution of the private sector in the enrichment of cultural life and producing quality TV series to be important, and added that he has no regrets about contributing to that process.

"So, just as other public figures, from politicians to the President of our Republic, have been involved in various TV series and cultural projects, I am, of course, ready to consider this in the future, should there be any exciting offers," said Võrklaev.

Škoda's Tallinn dealership Rohe Auto shared a clip of the TV series on social media with a caption urging people to buy a new car before the much-discussed car tax comes into force in Estonia. The introduction of the car tax was agreed by the government last year, when Võrklaev was finance minister.

In the clip, Võrklaev, who is looking to buy a car, enters a car dealership and introduces himself to the protagonist of the series. The former finance minister is then shocked by the price of the car he wants and is subsequently advised to buy a cheaper one.

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