▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Ge iß ler ▁was ▁Secretary ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁CD U ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁K ohl , ▁sh aping ▁strategy ▁and ▁running ▁election ▁campaign s . ▁He ▁was ▁widely ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁principal ▁architect ▁of ▁K ohl ' s ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁ch an cell or ship ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁years , ▁he ▁kept ▁the ▁party ▁on ▁a ▁cent rist ▁track , ▁hoping ▁to ▁attract ▁moder ate ▁vot ers ▁among ▁the ▁opposition ▁Social ▁Democr ats ▁al ar med ▁by ▁the ▁g ains ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ans ▁and ▁the ▁environmental ist ▁Green ▁Party . ▁ ▁Despite ▁becoming ▁a ▁major ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁CD U , ▁differ ing ▁and ▁increasing ly ▁left - lean ing ▁views ▁eventually ▁stra ined ▁relations ▁with ▁K ohl . ▁Re ports ▁that ▁Ge iß ler ▁would ▁be ▁replaced ▁cro pped ▁up ▁after ▁the ▁Christian ▁Democr ats ▁lost ▁elections ▁in ▁West ▁Berlin ▁and ▁Frankfurt ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁and ▁pol led ▁only ▁ 3 7 . 6 ▁percent ▁in ▁the ▁European ▁elections ▁that ▁year , ▁a ▁drop ▁of ▁ 8 . 2 ▁percentage ▁points ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁elections . ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁he ▁joined ▁forces ▁with ▁Kurt ▁B ied enk opf , ▁L oth ar ▁Sp ä th , ▁R ita ▁S üss m uth ▁and ▁others ▁in ▁an ▁un success ful ▁effort ▁to ▁ou st ▁K ohl ▁as ▁CD