Government parties crowed and the opposition poured scorn on Thursday after an American opinion poll put Silvio Berlusconi's coalition slightly ahead with elections seven weeks away.
The poll, carried out by the US agency PSB, gave Berlusconi's House of Liberties alliance 48.4% of the vote and the centre-left Union 48.4%.
Almost all the other polls carried out in Italy give the opposition formation a lead of about 4%.
The PSB poll was commissioned by Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, which also announced the results. Berlusconi, announced the results during a party rally in a triumphant manner, apparently indicating that the polls showed Forza Italia was leading. Once the actual polls were published it seems that the result is one of an exact tie.
Several opposition politicians said the poll had been tailor-made to suit the premier's interests. Opposition leader Romano Prodi said that the credibility of the poll had already been put in doubt by "several national and international commentators".
Elio Vito, Forza Italia's House whip, said the American survey showed the centre right had overtaken the opposition because moderate voters were "waking up".
This was mostly thanks to Berlusconi's tireless recent campaigning on the nation's television and radio stations,he added.
Italy's communications authority has opened an enquiry into the premier's use of the survey, after a complaint that a series of data related to it had not been supplied.
