The rationale for supporting python < 2.6 goes much further than debian stable. Most "enterprise" linux distributions (e. g. RHEL) still require python 2.4. It

The rationale for supporting python < 2.6 goes much further than debian stable. Most "enterprise" linux distributions (e. g. RHEL) still require python 2.4. It is incredibly difficult to install your own python once you need some extra libraries with C dependencies. For example, if you build your own python, say 2.6 on RHEL, but you need to use pyqt, you are in for a fun ride if you don't have admin privileges on your machine.