I thought Willy Brant had the title of building the welfare state in Germany.
But then again, I am not a history book and recalling things from memory. So do correct me and educate me on these matters Better to be proven wrong than to remain ignorant.
Edit: Christian democrats are way different than North American conservatives. They do lean right, but they have a heart. Blue tories like the ones we have here are much different. I would call the Christian Democrats in Europe as centrist.