Argentina’s first elected woman president Cristina Fernández sometimes evoked the figure of the legendary Evita Perón, one of the founders of the country’s populist Peronist political movement, during her campaign.

But in her acceptance speech on Sunday Ms Fernández – wife of outgoing Peronist president Néstor Kirchner – seemed to be doing her utmost to avoid the emotional language of social justice and class confrontation for which Evita was famous.