diff -r 6b3523f81f42 -r 26744ad37953 cubicweb/cwconfig.py
--- a/cubicweb/cwconfig.py	Fri Apr 05 17:21:14 2019 +0200
+++ b/cubicweb/cwconfig.py	Fri Apr 05 17:58:19 2019 +0200
@@ -166,8 +166,6 @@
    Directory where pid files will be written
 """
 
-from __future__ import print_function
-
 import importlib
 import logging
 import logging.config
@@ -182,8 +180,6 @@
 from threading import Lock
 from warnings import filterwarnings
 
-from six import text_type
-
 from logilab.common.decorators import cached
 from logilab.common.logging_ext import set_log_methods, init_log
 from logilab.common.configuration import (Configuration, Method,
@@ -641,7 +637,7 @@
         self.adjust_sys_path()
         self.load_defaults()
         # will be properly initialized later by _gettext_init
-        self.translations = {'en': (text_type, lambda ctx, msgid: text_type(msgid) )}
+        self.translations = {'en': (str, lambda ctx, msgid: str(msgid) )}
         self._site_loaded = set()
         # don't register ReStructured Text directives by simple import, avoid pb
         # with eg sphinx.
@@ -990,7 +986,7 @@
         # set to true while creating an instance
         self.creating = creating
         super(CubicWebConfiguration, self).__init__(debugmode)
-        fake_gettext = (text_type, lambda ctx, msgid: text_type(msgid))
+        fake_gettext = (str, lambda ctx, msgid: str(msgid))
         for lang in self.available_languages():
             self.translations[lang] = fake_gettext
         self._cubes = None