Ferenc Erdei (24 December 1910 – 11 May 1971) was a Hungarian politician and sociologist, who served as Interior Minister in the unofficial interim government led by Béla Miklós. After the Soviet occupation of Hungary this cabinet took office officially, in March 1945.

Under communist rule, Erdei served as minister of agriculture in 1949–53. As such he was responsible for the "attic sweepings" and other coercive happenings and atrocities in the villages. In July 1953 he was appointed minister of justice.^[1]

Erdei became a deputy prime minister during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, and as such was one of the leaders of the Hungarian delegation who negotiated abortively with the Soviets.^{[citation needed]} On 3 November he was arrested together with Minister of Defence Pál Maléter, but after some weeks Erdei was released after an intervention by János Kádár.^[1]

In 1957 he became secretary-general of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He received a Kossuth Prize twice, in 1948 and 1962. He was also secretary-general of the National Council of the Patriotic People's Front between 1964 and 1970.^[1]