The biggest 25 local authority areas in the Netherlands paid out some €6.4m in unemployment benefit to former council executives last year, the Telegraaf reports on Tuesday, quoting civil service magazine Binnenlands Bestuur.

On average, councils paid out €225,000 to executives who have either resigned or lost their job. Civil servants have a system of unemployment benefit known as wachtgeld, which is more generous than ordinary benefits.
Amsterdam city council paid out a total €335,000 to four former officials. The most money goes to Hennah Buyne, who was in the job for less than a year and resigned following a row over freedom of expression. She is still paid €7,992 a month, the paper says.