France Cukjati (born February 15, 1943) is a Slovenian politician, physician, theologian and a former Jesuit. Till 21 December 2011, he served as deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Slovenia. He was born in the village of Šentgotard near Trojane in central Slovenia (then part of the German Third Reich). His father fell in World War II as a member of the Yugoslav partisan resistance, while his mother was a local schoolteacher. He studied civil engineering at the University of Ljubljana, before being drafted to the Yugoslav People's Army. In 1964, he entered the Jesuit order. In 1966, he enrolled at the University of Zagreb, where he studied philosophy. After graduation, he studied theology at the University of Frankfurt in Germany. Upon returning to Slovenia, he served as priest in M