PERSPECTIVE Democratic Expeditions Innocence Lost: The Moral Costs of Defending Democracy Anthoula Malkopoulou Democracy is regarded as a morally superior form of go­vernment because it treats individuals as equals and af­fords them the greatest degree of liberty. As a result, when democracy is under threat, many people may swiftly rush to its defence without any hesitation. In doing so, they may feel that their actions are morally justified by default because of the higher purpose they are supposed to serve. But political action often comes at a cost, and democratic self-defence is no exception. Actions taken in the name of defending democracy carry their own moral risks. As the threat to democratic institutions intensifies, and the struggle against it becomes more complex and difficult, these risks can become serious. An ethical compass is needed to ensure that actions in defence of democracy do not cause more harm than they seek to prevent. Moral dilemmas of pro-democracy actors Within established democracies, the rise of political for­ces that show contempt for democratic ideas, instituti­ons and procedures forces pro-democracy actors to con­sider the use of questionable tactics. Some controversial actions to save democracy may be justified but morally wrong, nonetheless. Pro-democracy actors can occupy state or political posi­tions or belong to the broader civil society. They will face moral dilemmas around their tactics regardless of whether autocratic forces are in opposition or in power. When autocrats are in opposition, pro-democratic go­vernments are the ones most tempted to overreact. When autocrats are in power, it is opposition parties and civil society that are more likely to engage in controver­sial acts of resistance. Examples of such actions include the following cases: → Governments initiate procedures to ban an autocratic political party. → Mayors deny such a party the permission to use a pu­blic space. → Judges order restrictions on the political rights of some of the party’s members. Innocence Lost: The Moral Costs of Defending Democracy 1