The carrier began as Richelieu before receiving the name Charles de Gaulle. A naval act committed the state to construction, but successive governments supplied only limited funding. Government suspensions in 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1995 added to any disruption from strikes or other problems. Entry into service slipped five years from the intended 1996 date to 2001, and construction cost roughly three billion euros. The funding history explains how a formally approved programme can remain expensive and slow to deliver.
Notable Point · 18:06-20:35
Funding pauses, renaming, and a delayed carrier programme
Political approval did not secure steady annual funding: repeated government work suspensions pushed the intended 1996 service date back to 2001.