Increasingly, cities around the world are being run by political leaders who are directly elected by the people of that city. So they must champion the interests of the city—or they will not get re-elected. That, essentially, is the mechanism by which Democracy ensures the accountability of our political leaders. It’s as simple as that. The title for this political figure is usually ‘mayor’—but if the city is an autonomous entity, then it could be ‘chief minister’. It is a position of considerable power and responsibility, one which attracts very high-profile politicians. For instance, just before Jacques Chirac became president of France, he served as mayor of Paris.