>  What scope should it be declared in? When building with 
>autotools, I do not experience this failure.

One idea is you are using a bleeding edge Python. Those Python 
developers are like grocery store managers: they have to keep 
changing the location of things to appear like they actually do 
something constructive.

The tdeutils/superkaramba/src/meter_python.cpp file is the only 
place I find the function PyString_CheckExact being used. The 
meter_python.cpp has the following include:

#include <Python.h>

I have Python 2.7 installed. The Python.h header file has a bunch 
of other header file includes, one of which PyString_CheckExact is 
defined.

Perhaps look into where PyString_CheckExact is defined in your 
version of Python. My guess is your version of Python.h no longer 
contains an include where PyString_CheckExact is defined or perhaps 
PyString_CheckExact has been replaced by a different function.

Just guessing.

The only thing certain in free/libre software is tomorrow somebody 
upstream will break something that works today.

Darrell