Franco Rocchetta is a Venetist

Venetism

Venetian nationalism is an ideology and a regionalist movement demanding more autonomy, or even independence from Italy, for Veneto, and promoting the re-discovery the Republic of Venice's heritage, traditions, culture and language...

 politician.

Rocchetta was born in Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

. He was a founding member of Liga Veneta

Liga Veneta

Liga Veneta is a regionalist political party based in Veneto, combining Venetism and fiscal federalism. Liga Veneta is by far the largest party in Veneto and the party of Luca Zaia, President of Veneto since March 2010.It was the first party of its kind in Northern Italy, predating Umberto...

 in 1978–1980, and its national president and practical leader. In 1989 he was a founding member of Lega Nord along with Umberto Bossi

Umberto Bossi

Umberto Bossi is an Italian politician, leader of the Northern League, a party seeking autonomy or independence for Northern Italy. He is married to Manuela Marrone and has four sons ....

, Franco Castellazzi, Giorgio Conca, Gipo Farassino, Riccardo Fragassi, Marilena Marin, Bruno Ravera, Francesco Speroni, Carla Uccelli. He was elected federal president of that party in 1991 and 1994.

In July 1994 Rocchetta left the party before the end of a congress in which his wife and protegé Marilena Marin

Marilena Marin

Marilena Marin is an Italian Venetist politician.A native of Conegliano, she was a founding member of Liga Veneta in 1978–1980 and, after a party purge in 1984, she was elected national secretary of the party replacing Achille Tramarin...

 had been defeated by Fabrizio Comencini

Fabrizio Comencini

Fabrizio Comencini is a Venetist politician.Comencini started his political career in the Italian Social Movement , for which he was elected to the Regional Council of Veneto in 1985 and 1990. In the early 1990s, during his second term as regional councillor, he switched to Liga Veneta–Lega Nord...

 for party secretary. After his exit from Lega Nord, he unsuccessfully launched Liga Nathion Veneta

Liga Nathion Veneta

Liga Nathion Veneta was a short-lived Venetist political party active in Veneto.LNV was founded in 1994 by Franco Rocchetta and Marilena Marin, after they had left Liga Veneta–Lega Nord, a party they were instrumental to establish...

. He later joined the Federalists and Liberal Democrats

Federalists and Liberal Democrats

The Federalists and Liberal Democrats was a federalist and liberal Italian political party.-History:...

 and National Alliance

National Alliance (Italy)

National Alliance was a conservative political party in Italy.Gianfranco Fini was the leader of the party since its foundation in 1995, however he stepped down in 2008 after being elected to the nominally non-partisan post of President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and was succeeded by...

, prior to leaving politics.