According to a Facebook post by President Milanović, the event deserves “the strongest condemnation of the public, because hatred for others, intolerance and inhumanity are not and will not be a Croatian tradition.’’

Milanovic also said that the organisers of the event should be ashamed and demanded a public apology, especially due to the many children who witnessed the incident.

The public burning caused a great deal of outrage in the LGBT+ community, with many emphasizing that it took place within the European Union.

Euronews reports that the organization behind the carnival is showing no remorse for their controversial actions, reportedly saying that: "We remain conservative and attached to tradition. A child should be in the care of a mother,"

The probable reason for setting the cardboard gay couple on fire was a recent legal ruling that makes it possible for same-sex couples to care for foster children. The burning was part of a local tradition, in which the "annual mascot of evil" goes up in flames every year. Croatia is known as one of the most homophobic countries in the European Union.