The emergence of lucrative post-Prime Ministerial and Presidential business careers raises questions which go to the heart of democracy

Political leaders used to either retire or remain engaged in the political sphere after their executive careers are over. However, a number of factors, including the younger age at which political careers end, has led to the development of a new trend in which former leaders earn enormous amounts of money in the private sector. Fortunato Musella argues that this has implications for democracy, with political leaders potentially deprived of agency due to the expectation of future careers in business.