The trajectory of the first lehendakari of the Basque Government was characterized by the establishment of the first statutory Basque Government, but also by an internal split that reshaped the landscape of Basque nationalism. His departure from the PNV, the creation of Eusko Alkartasuna, and the illegal wiretapping case were the main controversial episodes of his political career.

The former lehendakari was the first lehendakari of the Basque Government after the approval of the Gernika Statute. His political period cannot be explained solely by the implementation of institutions such as Osakidetza, EiTB, or the Ertzaintza. His figure was also linked to one of the most significant internal crises within the PNV.

The main conflict occurred in the first half of the 1980s. The former lehendakari advocated for a model of the Basque Government with greater political capacity compared to the influence of the provincial councils. This debate eventually focused on the Historical Territories Law, the regulation that governed the distribution of powers between the autonomous executive and the provincial institutions.

Another highly controversial episode was the illegal telephone wiretapping case involving the former lehendakari in 1986, during the height of the Basque nationalist split. The judicial investigation implicated two Ertzaintza agents for the alleged tapping of his phone. The case was referred to the Provincial Court of Gipuzkoa as it involved members of the autonomous police force.

The issue of Navarre also accompanied the former lehendakari's career. Born in Pamplona, he defended a political vision that incorporated Navarre into the debate on Basque self-government. This stance generated tensions both within the PNV and in Navarrese politics.