The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) is a major centre-right, Christian-democratic political party in Germany. Operating nationally alongside its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), it advocates for a social market economy, European integration, and Christian-democratic principles. Founded in 1945 following World War II, the party shaped post-war West German reconstruction under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and later oversaw German reunification in 1990 under Chancellor Helmut Kohl.