King Juan Carlos last week for the first time ever presided over a meeting of the permanent commission of a government advisory body on economic and social issues.

The meeting was evidence of the Monarch’s concern over the country’s precarious economic condition.

Don Juan Carlos is also in the midst of working to restore the monarchy’s standing among many in the public, who have taken a more dim view amid recent scandals.

He said that in current times Spaniards “live in decisive times for developing solutions that allow growth and employment, to offer opportunities to the young and the unemployed — who are the most bitter face of the crisis — and to preserve social cohesion and consolidate successes.”

Also last week, Prince Felipe was in Switzerland trying to sell the International Olympic Committee on Madrid’s candidacy to host the 2020 games.