Political Leanings
Eugen Gerstenmaier belonged to a CDU faction who internally criticized Konrad Adenauer's policy of engaging the West because that brought along with it a tendency to turn away from the goal of reuniting Germany. Even in social policy, Gerstenmaier was rather critical of Adenauer and supported Ludwig Erhard's position instead, with pointedly Christian-Protestant arguments against the "total welfare state". From 1956 to 1966, he was acting CDU Federal Chairman.
Gerstenmaier belonged to the select committee of both "Union" parties (the CDU and CSU) which on 24 February 1959 put forward Ludwig Erhard as a candidate for Federal President (Bundespräsident), although Erhard declined the honour.
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