PD shades M5S as top Italy party

(ANSA) - Rome, May 19 - The ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD) edged in front of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) as Italy's top party in a poll Friday. After weeks as No. 1, the M5S dropped slightly more than the PD in the weekly poll by Ixè for State broadcaster RAI.
    But the two parties could hardly be closer, with ex-premier Matteo Renzi's PD on 28.6% and comedian Beppe Grillo's M5S on 28.5%.
    On the other side of the fence, ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Fi) stayed ahead of the rightwing populist Northern League of Matteo Salvini, at 12.9% to 12.4%. FI recently regained top spot on the right from the League.
    In other issues, 56% of those polled said it was wrong to have published a wiretap in which Renzi tells his father to tell the truth about his alleged involvement in the CONSIP civil-service procurement agency graft case.