Yet, it happens so often, one would think it was OK. Like the Salisbury poisoning, where the victims were referred to as an 'ex-Russian spy', when he was really a 'Russian ex-spy'. Unfortunately, there are cases, where if one is true to form, it becomes rather a mouthful.

Unfortunately, I believe it is because what they mean to say is he is no longer the French President (as if 'French President' was a single term), and attach 'ex-' in front of that term. Similarly for the 'Russian spy', which apparently is also a single term, rather than two terms.