Old leaders never die – at least not until a suitably grand monument to their achievements is under way.

This year, Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair were among those to join the club of ex-es, surrendering the top French and British jobs to become reluctant political pensioners with continued ambitions. During 2008, both US President George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, will relinquish the top political titles in their countries. Each faces a greater array of options than many of their predecessors.