Argentina campaigns for the future while remaining in the past

It was a late night in Argentina. And they still don't have a president.

None of the presidential candidates in yesterday's election won a solid majority. So there will be a runoff between the top two vote getters: Mauricio Macri and Daniel Scioli. Macri is the pro-business mayor of Buenos Aires. Scioli has the endorsement of the current president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

At stake is Argentina's future. The economy is experiencing double-digit inflation and the country's government cannot borrow because of a long dispute with overseas creditors. And yet both candidates in the runoff seem to be looking to the past for a boost. Both are courting voters allied with the party founded by Juan Domingo Peron and promoted by his first wife, Evita; and his second wife — and later president — Isabel.

So what does it mean to be a Peronist in 2015?

"That is, probably, the most difficult question you can ask someone in Argentina," says BBC Mundo's Ignacio de los Reyes. "Many people say that only when you understand Peronism can you understand the country."

Essentially, Peronism is a working-class political movement. It's based on the legacy of Juan and Evita. "They nationalized industries that were in the hands of foreign control, women were allowed to vote for the first time, and many poor people made it to the middle class thanks to welfare programs," says Reyes. "That's why the Peronist movement remains strong in the country."

You can see statues of Evita in plazas, on money, and of course, in popular films. Her grave, in the chic Recoleta area of Buenos Aires, is a popular destination for followers and tourists. I mean, who else got Madonna to play her on the cinema?

Presidential candidate Scioli calls himself a Peronist. He namechecks Juan on the campaign trail. Yet he seems to live in the shadow of Christina Kirchner, who took over the presidency after her husband, Néstor Kirchner. She's the heart and soul of Peronism to many. So channeling the populist movement has been challenging.

The same goes for his competitor.

Macri is not a Peronist. Yet channels the spirit of the Perons. Just a couple week ago, he unveiled a monument dedicated to Juan Peron in Buenos Aires. It's the first such monument of its kind in the capital city. "He's now asking for the support of Peronists. It's proof of how relevant the movement is 70 years after Peron rose to power,” says Reyes.

And proof of what politicians will do to win.