[1][2] An economist by profession, Pérez Touriño completed a course of specialisation at the University of Grenoble (France).

During the transition to democracy (1975–1982), following the end of Francoist Spain, Touriño rebranded himself as a left wing political activist and even participated in the drafting of the Galician Statute of Autonomy of 1981.

He joined the cabinet of minister Abel Caballero at the Spanish ministry for transportation, tourism and communications.

In 1994, he was accused of having accepted irregular payments and as a result renounced to all his political posts and returned to academia.

In 1998, Touriño replaced Francisco Vázquez as general secretary of the Socialists' Party of Galicia.